Gyeongju City to Invest 15 Billion Won in Creating 1,070m Coastal Walkway ... Completion by End of 2026

Gyeongju City has had the ‘Donghaean National Trail Development Project’ included as a new national budget project this year.

The Donghaean National Trail Development Project aims to connect the disconnected sections of the Haeparang-gil course along the East Coast in Gyeongju, creating trails and observatories for tourists and citizens.

First, Section 1 will be developed in the area of Suryeom-ri, Yangnam-myeon, Gyeongju City, with an 820m-long promenade from Jigyeong Port to Gwansung Solbat Beach. Additionally, a 399㎡ observatory building with 4 floors above ground and 1 basement floor, as well as a 1600㎡ parking lot, will be constructed.

Perspective view of the Gyeongju East Coast National Trail development project.

Next, Section 2 will be developed in the Eupcheon-ri area of Yangnam-myeon, featuring a 250m-long coastal promenade called Talhaewang-gil, which will be decorated with a pagoda and tree-lined paths.

The project is planned to be completed by December 2026. The total project cost is 15 billion KRW, with 14.5 billion KRW allocated for Section 1 and 0.5 billion KRW for Section 2.

This project faced difficulties in promotion as it was initially ranked low during the preliminary budgeting process by central government ministries.

However, Mayor Ju Nak-young and related officials made repeated visits to central government ministries and the National Assembly committees to provide thorough explanations on the necessity of the project, resulting in successful budget acquisition.

In particular, the re-enacted ‘Special Act on the Development of the East, West, and South Coast and Inland Areas’ in June last year also played a significant role.

Known as the ‘Coastal and Inland Development Act,’ this special law was enacted for the second time since November 2007 to foster industries in coastal areas that are underdeveloped compared to inland regions.

The law includes various support measures to facilitate the smooth implementation of comprehensive development plans by region and provides reasonable regulatory relaxation measures for coastal areas requiring development.

Mayor Ju Nak-young stated, “Once the Donghaean National Trail Development Project is completed, the Haeparang-gil will allow people to safely enjoy cross-country and coastal scenery, becoming a famous destination attracting many visitors not only from nearby Ulsan and Busan but nationwide. I would like to express my gratitude to the local National Assembly members and officials who passionately worked to secure the national budget despite difficult circumstances. The secured budget will breathe new life into tourism and the local economy.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.